ATLANTA — Coronavirus cases are on the rise and Atlanta has made it back to the red zone.
This means that the average number of cases in Georgia is exceeding 200 for every 100,000 people.
According to recent data by the Georgia Department of Public Health, Fulton County saw reported case numbers surpass 380 within the last week.
On Wednesday, July 20, Mayor Andre Dickens issued a mandate for masks at public meetings inside any facility owned or leased by the city of Atlanta.
A day after the announcement, Clayton County Public Schools shared that all staff and visitors would be required to wear a mask as cases are on the rise.
Atlanta initiated a color-coded zone system last year to track the rise of COVID-19 cases across the state.
- Red indicates new case numbers above 200
- Yellow indicates new case numbers are between 75 and 199
- Green represents new case numbers between 20 and 74
- Blue indicates new case numbers below 20
People who are vaccinated and boosted are still encouraged to wear a mask under red.
And individuals who are at high risk of contracting the virus should test regularly and talk to their health provider about extra precautions, along with staying up to date with vaccines and booster shots.
If exposed, citizens are still being encouraged to isolate and quarantine.